Looking for some Parental advice.

<p>I love my mom and grandparents but when it comes to school and what I should be doing their advice is not so great, as they would just prefer for me to live in this small town forever. I would just like some advice from a parent or someone about my future. I will be returning to UNC Chapel Hill this fall as a Junior (according to Credit Hours) and I am interested in History and Geology. I just worry with a degree in either of these I will not be able to find a job that will help me pay off my loans and start my life. So I am just looking for some advice from somebody besides "Just do what you think is best", sometimes I need more guidance than that. Perhaps you can encourage me that after getting a degree in History or Geology I will be able to find a good job. I know it probably sounds like I am a complicated person, but I want to make sure I am doing something that will benefit me in the future.</p>

<p>It would probably be best to visit your campus career center to discuss these issues. Also, speak with some professors or students who are majoring in those areas to get their advice and opinions. Also, look into any internships.</p>

<p>Don’t count on your college major alone to track you right into a post-graduate job unless you are majoring in a handful of very specific vocationally oriented fields. The advice given above is good. Should you major in History or Geology, you will have to take the initiative to market yourself through seeking out work and internship opportunities outside of your academic curriculum. Develop office skills (proficiency with common software, etc.). Use the career center’s assessment tools to determine possible fields of interest. </p>

<p>Right now it’s tough for recent graduates. There are no golden guarantees. Keep your debt as low as possible. </p>

<p>There does not have to be a connection between your major and your future jobs. There are certainly positions in the history field though higher level jobs often require a PhD or at least a master’s. You can teach in historical organizations, get into preservation work, work at parks or historic sites. But the skills in reading, research, writing and cognitive skills will serve you well in all kinds of fields, and employers of all kinds know that. Definitely try to do some interning, which doesn’t have to be in history. Non-profits can use interns and volunteers.</p>

<p>I don’t know that much about geology, honestly. If you stay in the sciences, you may need further education. I know someone who majored in geology who works in cartography/planning for a city. But again, you can apply to a wide variety of jobs.</p>

<p>I suggest you take a look at craigslist to get a feel for the job market, and also visit the career center as someone suggested above. But it is still okay to major in subjects that interest you without directly linking your studies to a career. I know there is a lot of pressure with loans, and having loans can limit your paths after school. I hope your loans are not too much of a burden.</p>

<p>It is true that many, but not all, of the bright, talented liberal arts students whom I know take awhile to find their vocational niche, but things tend to work our fine. A stint waitressing or waitering while trying things out is not uncommon. But my view is optimistic because I have seen kids enjoy their studies “for learning’s sake” and still find jobs they like. Rents are a problem, loans are a problem, and many graduates need to live at home or need some parental support to get launched, for good or ill.</p>

<p>You don’t need to change majors --but do work on building specific job skills. That’s what employers are often looking for. My daughter’s first job out of a college was a perfect fit for her major (poli sci) --but she probably wouldn’t have been considered for the job if she didn’t also have the requisite bookkeeping skills.
That isn’t something she got in school – that’s something she picked up at the various office jobs she held along the way. </p>

<p>By the time my daughter graduated from college, she had a work history of close to about 20 different paying jobs – augmented in part because she typically juggled 2 or 3 part time jobs while in college. Some diverse experience, with some strengths in office administrative work and event planning & management. Your interests may be different – perhaps that geology interest means that you are more outdoorsy, and should focus on developing a set of job skills that will get you out from behind the type of desk where my daughter sits. </p>

<p>But really – employers hire based on experience, not college major. So if you are not already working, perhaps the best thing you can do for yourself is check the listings at your college and get a part time job during the school year that will help you learn a new skill, or reinforce a skill that you already have. </p>

<p>I do know more than one student whose post-college careers are based not on what they majored in, but on the jobs they had while in college, which sometimes had nothing whatsoever to do with their majors. </p>

<p>westmc9th</p>

<p>You are thinking about a very important issue. Unemployment and underemployment rates among new college graduates are very high. Currently close to 50%. When most colleges report the percent of graduates employed at graduation, they usually count underemployed graduates as employed. That means that if you are a fry chef at McDonalds, you are employed.</p>

<p>The comments about career services are good. You should see a counselor and get a clear view of the situation. </p>

<p>When you are spending so much money on an education, if you are not wealthy, I think it is important to find major that is the best combination of what you like to do, and what you can get a job doing, and what will allow you to earn a living that you are at least minimally comfortable with.</p>

<p>Career Services should be able to give you information about what industries and types of jobs student are getting with various majors, and the pay ranges that students are earning. </p>

<p>Often different salaries may not mean much to a college student. I think it is helpful to work up a budget for what it might cost to live in an area, based on costs of rent, food, utilities, student loans, entertainment, cable, Starbuck’s, etc. It all adds up. If you can make a realistic budget, it can help you understand the impact of salary differences.</p>

<p>You may also find that some majors do not make a lot of sense for undergraduates unless they are planning to go on to graduate school rather quickly, where others are more employment focused. </p>

<p>What I hate to see is kids who say they did not think about any of this until after they graduated because they were guided to do what they enjoy, and follow their dreams, and now they are miserable because the can’t get a professional job in their major field, and work at a retail store earning close to minimum wage.</p>

<p>It is best to understand these things in advance to the extent possible, and work to avoid surprises.</p>